[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14960]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the President today announced his plans 
to transition the mission of our military in Iraq from combat to an 
advisory and assistance mission. For context, it is worth remembering 
that prior to the full deployment of this force, some Democrats were 
already declaring the surge the President is referring to today as a 
complete failure.
  But thanks to the vision and the determination of General Petraeus, 
General McChrystal, and Ambassador Crocker, the counterinsurgency 
strategy was allowed to take root and to succeed. The population was 
protected, al-Qaida in Iraq was weakened, and, crucially, our political 
relationship with the Maliki government grew stronger.
  None of this was easy. Between that brave decision to execute a 
counterinsurgency strategy, the surge, and the Anbar awakening, we had 
to prevail on many votes on timelines for withdrawal and fights over 
whether we would ever fund ongoing combat operations--all of which 
allowed for the strategic framework agreement and the security 
agreement between the U.S. and Iraqi Governments--by the way, executed 
in the previous administration--that outlined drawdown of forces and 
the transition of mission the President announced today. Of course, the 
Iraqis must work through the formation of the next government and 
continue to combat insurgents.
  There are valuable lessons in all of this as General Petraeus works 
to build the Afghan security forces and defeat the Taliban. The surge 
in Iraq helped create the conditions that resulted in the security 
agreement between our two countries, which took a lot of hard work, and 
back in 2007, some--including the current President and Vice 
President--thought it could not be achieved. The credit, of course, 
goes to General Petraeus, General Odierno, our fighting forces, 
Ambassador Crocker, and our Iraqi partners. It is their sacrifice we 
should remember today.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The majority leader.

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